Crima
Terrain Overall, situated next to the sea and not incredibly far above sea level, Crima is on the edge of the temperate-to-tropical band. Thus, while the south is warm and humid, the north is much more arid. Generally the soil is excellent for medium-to-large grasses, but very poor for larger plants such as thick bushes or trees, which means that there is very little natural shade. Outside of the far northern hills, the land itself is very flat, ideal for animals such as horses. Topologically, Crima is a fairly diverse land, though most of it can be neatly divided into three terrain types: The Hills, the Steppe, and the Coast. The Hills are thickest to the north, verging on small mountains in some cases, and are rich in minable stone. Further, the low mountains are just about the only place in all of Crima where trees seem to be willing to grow at all, and what little lumber they have is produced here. The northern hills are the region where the population is least concentrated, but produces most of the construction materials. Stretching across most of the region is steppeland, thick with grasses and lacking most shrubs and trees. Great herds of wild horses roam the land, and make their homes here. Rivers cut across the steppe from the mountains here and there, which provides much of the land's fresh water. There's really not much else to say, other than that many Cree live here. The Coastal region is very warm and humid, and the silty soil is very fertile. With additional thanks to all of the sunshine, the Crimar Coast is thus more or less perfect for growing crops, and the farmers there are able to produce enough wheat and barley to feed all of Crima and then some. Ryazen Bay - While the coast of Crima mostly consists of cliffs and waterfalls, there is a small bay that is fully accessible from both land and sea. It was named in honor of High Chieftain Ryazen, who managed to forge an honest nation out of a raider band. A thriving port town has sprung up here, and overseas trade can be easily controlled from here. Or blockaded, should it come to that. Khater Pass - Far to the north, along the border with Ashenia, lies the mountain pass where the Khater first entered the land of Crima. Given that there are several such passes and blockading them all would be difficult, its strategic value is minimal. Still, it's an important memory of the Cree heritage and the occasional scholar or pilgrim still visits to honor the ancestors. The Creestone - Another cultural site, the Creestone is a large meteorite that spontaneously struck the ground in an otherwise empty Steppeland. When Ryazen's father first encountered it, and the Khater came to a halt in the steppes, he saw that the Sky had laid seed upon the Earth to form something great, and chose to start building a nation around this treasure. The stone was named for the distinctive 'Creeeeeeeeee' sound it made as it fell, and the people of the land ended up borrowing this too. It currently sits at the center of Cree, the Throne city of the Khalifate. People The people of Crima, once upon a time, were nomadic raiders known as the Khater. They drifted from land to land, taking what they could to get by, and feeding their horses along the way. Finally, only a few decades ago, they sought the unsettled lands far to the west, and began to build more permanent settlements. The Grand Steppes were perfect for their horses and for their people, so they thrived. Their previous leader, Grand Chieftain Ryazen, spent her days rebranding the Khater into the Cree, patronizing agriculture and trying to help her people forget their barbaric roots, which has been somewhat successful. She even introduced the Lord of Fire into the previous, purely animistic structure in the hopes of ameliorating the public image of the Khater as godless barbarians, with somewhat mixed results. The Cree tend toward being of average height and lean but healthy. Most of them are dark-haired, but lighter shades have been known to turn up here and there. Long days under the hot sun with little shade have left them fairly dark-skinned, but exceptions are common. There is an unusually high population of green-eyed people, though most Cree have brown or hazel eyes. Resources Crima is mostly steppeland, and is home to great herds of wild horses. The Cree are horsemen almost by their genetics, and learning to ride a horse is, in their culture, as vital a skill as learning to walk. Thus, they have a lot of practice taming horses. And the ones that can't be tamed are at the very least good for leather and meat. Northern Crima has many hills and low mountains, which are very minable and an excellent source of stone. Finally, the coastal region is a veritable cornucopia of agricultural wealth, and produces spectacular amounts of bread and other edible vegetables. Religion The Crimar religion is, in essence, tribal animism. However, it does have one unique component, thanks to the efforts of High Chieftain Ryazen: The Lord of Fire holds the highest position in the spirit "hierarchy", right next to figures like the Father Sky himself and the mighty Mother Earth. Of course, the Blazing Avatar is considered to be a pathetic demagogue perverting a greater being for their own purposes by the Cree public, which might be problematic down the line. Category:Regions Category:Capital Regions Category:Regions of Telluris Category:Capital Regions of Telluris